


Lie or Lay

by Goodbyemyfancy



Category: Jumper (2008)
Genre: Drinking, Grammar fight, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-26
Updated: 2014-02-26
Packaged: 2018-01-13 20:47:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1240291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goodbyemyfancy/pseuds/Goodbyemyfancy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A fight over grammar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lie or Lay

“Look, I keep telling you the proper term is Lie. Lie. L.I.E.”

“No way. The proper phrasing is ‘lay,’ not ‘lie.’”

As always, Griffin looked murderously at his American friend and then punched him hard on the bicep, expressing his frustration.

“Dammit, are we going to have to use Google to end this argument? This is stupid. Bloody Yanks with their bastardized English. Can’t spell or pronounce words properly.”

Given the two jumpers were both incredibly hammered, having challenged each other to the classic 100 shots of beer in 100 minutes competition after wandering into a gourmet pub in London, the fight was understandable. Even sober, each man enjoyed pushing the other, teasing and testing the foundations of their new friendship. And inebriation just brought out their competitiveness even more. They were nearly evenly drunk, David being taller and able to take in more alcohol, Griffin having a higher tolerance. However, it was now 3am and the two were staggering down the street, holding each other up, waiting to get far enough away in order to jump.

In a surprising burst of sudden clarity, Griffin blurted out, “OK here’s the difference. When both are used in the present tense,‘lie’ means I’m doing something to myself. Like, ‘I need to lie down now.’ Whereas ‘lay’ is something done to another person or thing. Such as, ‘I lay my beach towel down on the sand.’”

David tried to turn his head to look at Griffin, but they nearly walked into a wall in the process. After some swearing and reshuffling to get them sorted back together, David finally replied, “How the hell did you come up with that? Especially when we’re this trashed?”

“Oh that’s easy,” Griffin smirked as he dug his fingers under David’s ribs, “My mom was a teacher. She got me to memorize the line, “You’ll lay an egg if you don’t lie down. So I’m right.”

David stumbled a bit on the uneven sidewalk but caught himself. “Fine, whatever. Lay down, lie down – I don’t really care. I just want to be in a comfortable bed somewhere very soon before I fall flat on my face.” Griffin started laughing as he started envisioning his bedroom in his secret home in Vienna, “Looking for a lay, are you David? I can accommodate that.” And with that, the two were gone, garbage and debris whirling in a small tornado before collapsing back on to the now empty street.

**Author's Note:**

> Griffin and David belong to Steven Gould and 20th Century Fox. I just play with them and return them only slightly bruised.


End file.
